Sporting a Razorback cheerleading uniform, 5-year-old Rachel Best supported the team alongside her family from the stands of the Donald J. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Now a sophomore in college, Rachel considered no other option than attending the University of Arkansas. Growing up in Little Rock, she was raised a Hog fan and became accustomed to following the team weekly during football season. However, she never expected to have the opportunity to work within the Arkansas football program.
At the end of her freshman year, Rachel heard about an opening in the recruitment department for the football team. With encouragement from friends, she applied and later received confirmation that she got the job.
Most of Rachel’s work is done on game days. She meets with potential recruits and their families before kickoff, they watch the warm-ups and she introduces the players to the coaches. They eat lunch together at the facility and then she gives them a tour of the Fred W. Smith football center. It is her duty to make them feel comfortable with both the university and the football team. Her job also entails behind the scenes work such as sending out letters and profiling players.
Rachel said that working with these potential recruits is great practice for her future career. With medical field aspirations, she knows the importance of catering to the individual client. “I’ve learned how to make people feel more comfortable with what they’re doing,” Rachel said. “Just letting them know we want them to be successful. This is an important skill in both my recruitment job and the medical field.”
On top of a challenging pre-medical major and the recruiting position, she is involved in several other organizations around campus. Rachel is the activities chair and a new member leader for her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. She also attends STUMO weekly and is a member of the Pre-Medical Society.
Rachel gets great satisfaction out of being involved at the school that she loves. “I feel so blessed to be able to go to this great school and to have as many opportunities as I have,” she said. “I am lucky to be a part of something bigger than myself that betters this great university.”